Entrance-shaft for submarine boats.



R. DEQUEVILLEY-MONTJUSTIN.

ENTRANCE SHAFT FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6, 1908.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

UNITED STATES we are.

RAYMOND DEQUEVILLEfI-HONTIUSTIN, 0F m1], GERMANY.

ENTRANCE-SHAFT FOR SUBMARINE BOATL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

Application filed April 6, 1908. Serial No. 425,461.

Lav-M0NTJUs/rnv, a subject of the King of Spain, and a resident of Kiel, in the Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Entrance-Shafts for Submarine Boats, of which the following ,is a specification.

The present invention relates to the type of entrance-shafts for submarine boats in which the upper and lower ends of the shaft are provided with hinged doors or flaps for closing the shaft.

The object of the invention is to improve this type of shafts in'such a manner that, in case the flaps are inadvertently left open, the lower flan will be closed by the water enter ing the s aft when the boat dives or when heavy seas break over the deck.

In'the accompanying drawings, Figure 1- shows a side view, partly in section, of a submarine boat provided with the improved entrance-shaft, the flaps of the shaft being closed; Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a part of Fig. 1,

' ing 0 en,'and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a detai rThe entrance-shaft A. leads to the compartment B for the crew in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The shaft is inb-lincd and is of rectangular cross-section. At the u )POI and lower ends of the shaft are n'oviderf hinged doors or flaps C, D, for closing the shaft. When the upper flap (3 is closed,the flap overlaps the upper end of the shaft' A. The lower flap D has a central countersunk portion d which can engage in a corresponding opening a in the lower end wall of the shaft. To the flap D are secured two sheet-metal lates d which lie against the side walls 0' the shaft. These plates serve to limit the opening movement of the fin. D (Fig. 2) and guide the flap along the si ewalls of the shaft in such a manner that water cannot enter between the plates and the side wallsof the shaft. The weight of the flap D and its positibn in opened condition are selected in such a manner that the flap automatically closes when the space between the wall a oftheshaft and the opened flap D becomesfillcd with water, closed condition, the; Flaps (I and I) may be bolted to the shaftfhy suitable scouring 'means (not shown in, the-drawing). The

the flaps bc-- In their fia D and the wall a of the shaft are provi ed with ribs d and a? which serve as steps for the crew entering or leaving the. compartment.

If the flaps C D are inadvertently left open and water enters the shaft, due to the boat diving or due to heavy seas breaking over the boat, the inclined position, of the shaft .A causes the water to flow along the wall a and pass behind the flap D, the weight of the water and the shock effected tl'rercby causing the flap to close. In the shaft ac cording to the present invention, when water enters the shaft, the lower flap is therefore more certain to close than is the case with vertical shafts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:- p

1. The combination with an entrance shaft for submarine boats having an. inclined wall along which water entering the shaft is adapted to pass, mounted adjacent to the lower end of said well and adapted to receive the impact of the water to automatically close the shaft.

of means swingingly 2.' Aninclined entrance shaft for submarine boats havingjmeans at its upper end for closing the shaft, and having means at its lower end for closing the shaft; said lastnamed means being adapted to receive the impact of water entering the shaft to automatically close the lower end of the shaft.

An inclined entrance shaft for subma rine boats having a closing member hinged to the upper end of the shaft, and a closing member hinged at the lower end of the shaft, saidlast-named member being adapted to receive the impact of water entering the shaft to automatically close the lower, end of the shaft.

4. An inclined entrance shaft for submarine boats having a closing flap at its upper end, a closing flap at its lower end, and means for su porting said last-named flap when opens in position to receive the impact of water entering the shaft to cause the water to close the flap.

The foregoing specification signed at Kiel,

FERDINAND ltouwnnnnn. 

